Sash-supporter for car-windows



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY- K. SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SASH-SUPPOR'IER FOR CAR-WINDOWS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,511, dated May 29, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY K. SMITH, of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Car-lindow Supporter' orFastener to be Used in Railroad-Cars for the Puropse of Holding Up theVxlindows Then Raised; and I do hereby declare the following to be acorrect description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

A great variety of contrivances for holding the sash of railroad carwindows in place when raised, have been advised, but I am satisfied fromlong experience as a railroad superintendent that none of them possessthe requisite qualities necessary in a device to perform this duty. Acontrivance that would be perfectly effectual when used in a commonstationary window might be entirely useless` when employed to hold upthe window of a car in'rapid motion and subjected to constant andviolent vibration. Hence we find that the windows of cars are veryfrequently thrown down by the jars to which they are liablean accidentattended with inconvenience, and even with danger when any part of theperson is exposed to the blow. Serious and painful injuries to the handsand arms of passengers have resulted from this cause.

My invention, though exceedingly simple, accomplishes perfectly theobject desired, as I have demonstrated by practical experiment on thecar windows of the Philadelphia da Germantown Road of which I amsuperintendent.

yIn the drawing A marks the frame of the window; B the sash; C theweighted catch; D the hook into which the lower end of catch C isreceived; a the arm of the earch; o the bur or pin of hook D; o a screwfor securing D to the frame A; c the pivot of the catch C; z' the toothor lower end of C.

The catch C, which is attached to the sash of the window, swings freelyon its pivot c and by the operation of the weight of its arm o its lowerend is kept in contact with the window frame A so as to b-e in positionto fall into the notch of hook D, when descending after having beenraised above it. The hook D, which is attached to the window frame bythe bur o and screw o, receives the point or tooth fz' of the catch andholds it securely; and it is only by raising the window a distance equalto the depth of the notch of hook D and holding the catch back so as toclear the hook, that the window can be lowered. No jar which a car underordinary circumstances will receive, can throw the catch out ofconnection with the hook and allow the window to fall.

Having thus described my invention I wish it understood that I do notclaim a weighted pawl working into a notch with a horizontal face; nordo I claim any de vice for locking the sash ofa window down; but

That I claim is- The combination with the window of a railroad car ofthe catch C and hook D constructed and arranged for conjoint operationin the manner described and for the purpose set forth.

The above specification of my said invention, signed and witnessed this11th day of April A. D. 1860.

HENRY K. SMITH.

Witnesses CHAS. F. STANSBURY, JOHN H. LEwAss.

